Hemerocallis plant named ‘WF7-155’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Hemerocallis  cultivar named ‘WF7-155’ is disclosed, characterized by its excellent landscape performance, resistance to daylily rust, yellow flower color, with a small green throat. Plants have dark green Winter dormant foliage. The new variety is a  Hemerocallis,  normally produced as an outdoor garden plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Hemerocallis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘WF7-155’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Hemerocallis cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor Philip Dale Westmoreland, in Southern Louisiana. The objective of the breeding program was to produce new Hemerocallis varieties with strong performance in the landscape. This includes such characteristics as clear color, repeat bloom over a long period, strong and upright flower scape, high bud count, fade resistance of blooms, foliage appeal, and maintaining plant vigor throughout the season in a general landscape environment where it may not get optimum care.

Since the advent of daylily rust, beginning in approximately 2000, caused by Puccinia hemerallidis, the top priority in the breeding program has been to develop seedlings with a high resistance to daylily rust, in addition to the previously cited characteristics. The selection process involves no application of fungicides on any cultivars in our hybridizing program. This practices results in a loss of many cultivars in the program, but is necessary to determine which varieties may be rust resistant.

All daylilies from this program are hybridized, evaluated, and multiplied in plastic nursery containers using pinebark screenings as a growing medium and using overhead sprinklers for irrigation. They are grown in full sun outdoors year round. Each cultivar selected is confidentially evaluated for a period of 5 to 10 years.

The cross resulting in the variety know as ‘WF7-155’ was made during 2000. The seed parent is an unnamed, unpatented proprietary seedling, as is the pollen parent. The new variety was selected in the September of 2003 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2000 crossing, at a commercial nursery in Franklinton, La.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first performed by root divisions at a the same commercial nursery in Franklinton, La. during 2003, and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type over multiple generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘WF7-155’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘WF7-155’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘WF7-155’ as a new and distinct Hemerocallis cultivar:

-   -   1. Excellent landscape performance     -   2. Yellow flowers with a small green throat.     -   3. Early to mid-season blooming.     -   4. Repeat blooming     -   5. 24 inch scape.     -   6. Dark green foliage     -   7. Highly resistant to daylily rust.     -   8. Winter dormant foliage.     -   9. Deep, consistent attractive margin ruffling.     -   10. Upright foliage

The inventor is unable to compare ‘WF7 155’ to the parent varieties, as it is unknown which proprietary varieties are the actual parents.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘WF7-155’ are comparable to the unpatented commercial variety Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’. The two Hemerocallis varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘WF7-155’ differs in the following;

-   -   1. Flowers longer period of time.     -   2. Larger flower size.     -   3. Much more heavily branched thus giving a explosion of color.     -   4. Rust free.     -   5. Much more vigorous.     -   6. More resistant to extreme heat and cold.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘WF7-155’ can also be compared to the unpatented commercial variety Hemerocallis ‘Lemon Yellow’ These varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however ‘WF7-155’ differs in the following ways;

-   -   1. Larger flowers.     -   2. Higher bud count.     -   3. Stronger, erect flower scapes.     -   4. Rust free.     -   5. Repeat blooms, therefore it blooms much longer than the         comparator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘WF7-155’ grown outdoors, in a 1 gallon pot. Age of the plant photographed is approximately 1 year old. The photograph was taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 2007 except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘WF7-155’ plants grown outdoors in Camarillo, Calif. The growing temperature ranged from approximately 10° C. to 35° C. during the day and from approximately 5° C. to 23° C. during the night. General light conditions are bright, normal sunlight. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Hemerocallis hybrid ‘WF7-155’.

PROPAGATION

-   Root description: Rhizomes. Thick, typically colored near     Orange-White 159C. -   Propagation method: Rhizome divisions or tissue culture.

PLANT

-   Age of plant described: Approximately 12 months. -   Container size: 1 gallon. -   Growth habit: Evergreen semi-hardy perennial. -   Height: Approximately 45 cm to top of highest leaf. Approximately 60     cm to top of highest inflorescence. -   Plant spread: Approximately 40 cm. -   Growth rate: Moderate to rapid. -   Branching characteristics: Non-branching, forms basal clumps.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Growth habit.—Outwardly arching.         -   Average length.—Approximately 55 cm.         -   Average width.—Approximately 2.2 cm.         -   Shape of blade.—Narrow lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Sheathing.—No.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous with minute ridges.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous with minute ridges and a             very prominent mid-vein.         -   Quantity of leaves per plant.—Average 20.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near RHS Green 137A. Young             foliage under side: Near RHS Green 137A. Mature foliage             upper side: Near RHS Green 137A. Mature foliage under side:             Near RHS Green 137A.         -   Venation.—Type: Linear. Venation color upper side: Near RHS             Green 137A. Venation color under side: Near RHS Green 137A.

FLOWER

-   Natural flowering season: Typically early Spring until Fall. -   Inflorescence type and habit: Single flowers occurring in clusters     of 3 to 6 on a scape. -   Flower longevity on plant: 2 to 4 days from fully opened. -   Quantity of open flowers per plant at one time: Approximately 3 to     12. -   Inflorescence size (excluding scape):     -   -   Height.—Approximately 22 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 20 cm. -   Individual corolla:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rotate.         -   Size.—Length: Approximately 16 cm. Width: Approximately 11             cm at widest point.         -   Tepals per corolla.—6.         -   Margin.—Entire, with deep, even very attractive ruffling.         -   Tepal shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute, ruffled.         -   Texture.—Glabrous, all surfaces. -   Color:     -   -   Tepals.—When opening: Outer surface: Near RHS Yellow-Orange             22B. Inner surface: Near RHS Yellow-Orange 18A, throat near             Yellow-Green 144B. Fully opened: Outer surface: Near RHS             Yellow-Orange 22B. Inner surface: Near RHS Yellow-Orange             18A, eye near Yellow 12B, throat near Yellow-Green 144B.             Aging Flower color: Outer surface: Near RHS Orange 25D.             Inner surface: Near RHS Orange 25D, eye near Yellow 12B,             throat near Yellow-Green 144B. -   Bud:     -   -   Shape.—Elongated and oblong.         -   Length.—Approximately 5.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 1 cm.         -   Color.—Near RHS Orange 25D. -   Scape:     -   -   Length.—Approximately 61 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 0.8 cm.         -   Angle.—Upright, straight.         -   Strength.—Very Strong.         -   Color.—Near RHS Green 137A. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Quantity per scape.—Typically 2 to 6.         -   Length.—Approximately 5 cm to 10 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 0.5 cm.         -   Aspect/angle.—Approximately 45 degrees.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Near Green RHS 137A.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Stamens:     -   -   Number.—Average 6.         -   Filament length.—Approximately 8.2 cm.         -   Filament color.—Near RHS Yellow 12B, base near Yellow-Green             N144C.         -   Anther length.—0.4 cm.         -   Anther color.—Near RHS Greyed-Orange 170A.         -   Anther shape.—Symmetrical and oblong.         -   Pollen.—Moderate. -   Pistil:     -   -   Number.—1.         -   Length.—Approximately 8.6 cm.         -   Style color.—Near RHS Orange-Red 35C.         -   Stigma.—Shape: Linear. Color: Near RHS Yellow 12B.         -   Ovary color.—Near Green RHS 137A.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Seeds and fruits: None observed to date. -   Disease/pest resistance: Common to other Hemerocallis varieties. -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately     below 0° C. to 35° C. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis plant named ‘WF7-155’ as herein illustrated and described. 